Car door and operating means therefor



fiaph 25 W280 F. G. EVANS CAR DOOR AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 22, 1927 lt atented dept Eti, llhfido lit in ti at a u ailment return u. nan-ins, or neuron none iatouisiena, nests-nor, or eivniratr an scenes at. MITCHELL, or urnssrisia seams-s, vvnsr VIRGINIA.

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ltfpplieation filed December 22,1927. Serial N'o.'a4 1,9%.

stance.

l estillfurther ohject of theinvention is to provide-a door construction and operating means therefor 'Wl'iich is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable an d furthern ioreadapted for the: purposes for which it designated. I v

@ther objects andadvantage lil i is in veutlon will become apparentduring the course of the following description.

ln-the drawingsformingpait of this spcci :licatiom andin \vh i'chlike numerals designate like partsthroughout the same a l igure 1 is 'a side elm ation of "my invention' showingthe door in a closed an dlocked position, and

ll ig. Q'is a fragmentary plan viewof' the (loci-operating means showing the sameunlocked and secured in position for opening the door.

lln thedrawing wherein forthepurpose of illustration, is shown the preferred endiodiment ofmy invention, the r'iuinoral 1 denotes the side of a freight earpreferably of the bok cartype wherein the s'ameis provided with the usual. door opening in the side thereof. For thepurpose of closing the door opening, I provide the door 2 and the same is adapted to slide on the side 1 of the car in the i'nanner to be presently described.

Supported in suitable brackets 3 secured to the outer side of the door 2 adjacent the upper edge thereof andadapted to rotate therein are the upper rollers 4. Two of such rollers being provided in the manners clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. V

The lower portion of the door is also provided With supporting brackets 5 similar to the bracket 3 above described and adapted to be rotatably supported in one of the lower brackets 5 is the lower roller 6. Supported in the lower bracket at the opposite corner is the ratchet Wheel 7 and the purpose thereof Will he presently described. Cooperating with the operating upper rollers i is the longitin dinally extending guide 'rail 8 which secured on the side of the car adjacent the-upper edge of't'he door opening and the same is pref erably of angular forn'iation to prevent th'e door from moving laterally with respect thereto. The guide rail 8 has one portion thereof disposed overthedooropening while the ren'iaining portion arrang d on the side of the car for a suitable-distancebeyond the opening.

For the purpose of cooperating with the lower roller (5 and the sprocketwheel 7, liprovide the channel shapedrail 9 which is socured to the side of the car adjacentthelower edge of the door opening .in-the manner similar to which the upper guide rail is secured adjacent the upper'edge of the-door opening. The guide rail 9 is provided With-a plurality of openings l0 which are arrangedin the base portion thereof and are spaced-i n such a manner astomei'ihwith theteeth'll of the ratchet wheel 7, in themanner clearly "illustrated in Fig.1.

This also to*beunilerstood-that-the lower roller ewur ride on therail and the provision (if-the ratchet Wllfilil withthe openings in the lower-rail to receive theteeth of theratchet Wheel; Willpro vide a men ns whereby the door maybe moved on-the side ol' the car to open and close the door o 'iening in the manner hereinafterto lite-more fully described. Ver tically extending angular :'-;i1 'ips 12 and 13 respectivelyareseei: 'lto the BS ofthe ear for limiting the sliding i'novenient of the door -and the strip lQ WiIleugage oneofthe side edges otthe door when the same is' ir a closed position, While the a strip 13 Will en gage the opposite edge of the door when the same is in an open position.

The outer end of the shaft upon Which the ratchet Wheel 7 is keyed, is flattened as illustrated at 14:, and pivotally connected thereto is the inner bifurcated end of the arm or lever 15. The pivotal connection is illustrated at 16. The outer end of the arm or lever 15 is bifurcated as illustrated at 17 and pivotally supported in the outer end of the bifurcated portion of the lever is the substantially right annular member 18 The pivotal connection for the right angular member is illustrated at 19. One of the arms of the right angular member 18 is provided with a slot for engagement With a lll) suitable keeper or staple 21, secured to the side of the car adjacent the door opening and the slotted arm 20 will provide a hasp for cooperation with the staple in receiving pin 22 of any conventional construction whereby a lock for securing the door in closed position is provided when the right angular l'ilolnbm 18 is in the position as shown, in Fig. 1.

The other arm 23 of the right angular member 18 is provided with an opening in the free end thereof for registration with aligning openings 24 provided in the bifurcated portion 17 of the outer end of the arm or lever 15. The pin 22 is then inserted through the registering opening of the bifurcated outer end of the arm or lever 15, and the arm 23 of the right angular member 18, so as to cause the right angular member to have the arms 20 thereof, disposed at substantially right angles to the lever and provide a meansfor actuating the lever and ratchet wheel whereby the latter may be rotated for engagement with the openings provided in the lower rail 9, thereby enabling the door to be moved out of engagement with the door opening in the manner as is obvious from the construction as shown in the draw ing.

l/Vith the parts arranged as shown in Fig.

2, of the drawing, the arm of the right angular member 18 provides a handle and by turning the same, the teeth on the ratchet wheel 11 will mesh with the openings 10 provided in the base of the lower guide rail 9 and the door may freely slide between the guiderails until the side edge of the same engages the strip 13, thereby limiting the movement of the door in that direction. To close the door, it is only necessary to reverse the rotation of the ratchet wheel so that the door will again resume the position shown in Fig. 1 and the pin 22 may then be removed from engagement with the registering openings provided in the bifurcated outer end of the arm or lever 15 and the outer end of the arm 23 of the right angular member 18, and by swinging the latter on its pivot 19, the hasp 20 may be brought into engagement with the staple 21 and the pin 22 inserted therein and a suitable seal placed thereon, whereby the door will be locked closing the door opening.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, that a door for freight cars has been provided which is very simple in construction, and the operating means therefor will enable the same to be readily moved to an open or closed position as is desired. Furthermore, the operating means of the door will be strong and durable and may be readily moved for either providing a locking means for the door or to provide a means for moving the same.

Vhile I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a structure of the class specified wherein the same embodies a ratchet wheel equipped with a rotating stud, a convertible hand crank for rotating said wheel, said hand crank comprising a lever connected to said stud, and a handle pivotally connected to the outer end of the lever, said handle being formed with a slot to permit passage of a staple therethrough, whereby to permit the handle to function additionally as a hasp.

2. In a structure of the class described, wherein the same embodies a ratchet wheel provided with a rotating stud, a convertible hand crank for cooperation with said wheel, said crank comprising a lever pivotall y connected at its inner end to said stud and bifurcated at its outer end, and a handle adapted to be disposed at a right angle to the lever said handle being pivoted between the bi turcat-ions and being provided adjacent the free end with a slot through which a staple is adapted to extend whereby to permit the handle to be swung into alignment with the lever to function additionally as a hasp.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

FLOYD G. EVANS. 

